


(I love you so much) It's just like oxygen

by TooRational



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hugs, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Patrick Stump Loves Pete Wentz, Pete Wentz Needs a Hug, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooRational/pseuds/TooRational
Summary: Pete's the one who pestered Patrick into singing instead of drumming, Pete's the one who steered their band into stardom, Pete's the one who reached out to Patrick during the hiatus (even though it was Patrick's idea to try getting the band together again, but that's just details), and Pete ismost definitelythe one who shamelessly seduced Patrick when Patrick was too much of a chicken to admit he was in love with Pete, that hehas beenin love with Pete in a multitude of different ways since he was sixteen, but thatthistime, this last piece of the puzzle, this cherry on top of the cake of their soulmate™ relationship, was not a bad thing, or a potentially life-ruining thing, but a simple, natural-as-breathing extension of their journey towards each other.Pete's fault. All of it.So is the fact that he's currently on-stage, singing his soul out to Chicago and the kids, sweating his ass off because in a few minutes he is about to publicly — very,verypublicly (did Patrick mention that part already? It's an incredibly…publicthing he's doing here)——propose to Pete Wentz.Or: Proposal!fic
Relationships: Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz
Comments: 33
Kudos: 74





	(I love you so much) It's just like oxygen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heartsliesnpeterick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsliesnpeterick/gifts).



> I promised myself No Declarations of Love in the next fic! And then I go and write a proposal fic, with the mushiest speech ever. *headdesk* I am a disaster human, just let me be.
> 
> Dedicated to the lovely enabler and the Peterick video archivist, yourtiredheart. Proposals and hugs, right? Hope you like them. ♥
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Lies, untruths, complete fabrication, made for fun. Imagine we're in an alternate universe in which a butterfly batted its wings and, like, here's a love proposal! *helpless shrug* Blessings on all these lovely people and their loved ones, may they live in happiness and health for a very, very long time. (And if you dare bother them, I'm personally going to kick the shit out of your disrespectful ass. You've been warned.)

Patrick would like the record to show that this is all Pete's fault.

Pete's the one who pestered Patrick into singing instead of drumming, Pete's the one who steered their band into stardom, Pete's the one who reached out to Patrick during the hiatus (even though it was Patrick's idea to try getting the band together again, but that's just details), and Pete is _most definitely_ the one who shamelessly seduced Patrick when Patrick was too much of a chicken to admit he was in love with Pete, that he _has been_ in love with Pete in a multitude of different ways since he was sixteen, but that _this_ time, this last piece of the puzzle, this cherry on top of the cake of their soulmate™ relationship, was not a bad thing, or a potentially life-ruining thing, but a simple, natural-as-breathing extension of their journey towards each other.

Pete's fault. All of it.

So is the fact that he's currently on-stage, singing his soul out to Chicago and the kids, sweating his ass off because in a few minutes he is about to publicly — very, _very_ publicly (did Patrick mention that part already? It's an incredibly… _public_ thing he's doing here)— 

—propose to Pete Wentz.

***

It's not like Patrick hasn't thought about marriage himself. He has. He _does_ , at length, and especially since the legalization of gay marriage in Illinois. There's little doubt Pete is the endgame for Patrick, considering the path they took to get here and all the ways they _fit_ like an incredibly codependent puzzle that would probably wither and die if separated.

… that metaphor went a little sideways but anyway, the point is that Pete is The One, Patrick knows that with the certainty of knowing he is going to inhale in the next second and exhale the second after that, and with that come certain Expectations. Despite the fact that Pete lives to defy every and all expectations he encounters, there are, in fact, _Expectations_.

Therefore, once they've been _together_ together for some time — once they got over the Freaking out and the endless Discussions about What it all Means, and How will it Affect them and the Band, and Is this for Real or are they just Too Different to Work — once all of it was settled and done with, Patrick starts thinking.

Because Pete hasn't mentioned marriage at all. Not even once.

Oh, sure, he jokes about it, and most of the time he acts like it's a done deal, like they're already an old married couple and all they need is a set of rocking chairs on their porch (the porch of the house they picked out together, by the way, and have lived in for a year now) for it to be confirmed and cemented as fact.

But there's some _thing_ , some hesitation in Pete when marriage comes up, a sore spot Patrick can almost _see_ , and it lights up every Pete-Sense Patrick has. It makes him tread lightly around this, makes him whisper comforting nonsense into Pete's ear while holding him closer, tighter; makes him fiercely protective of Pete's bruised heart and his perceived failures when it comes to marriage.

Nevermind that it takes two to make a relationship work or fall apart; nevermind that some things just aren't meant to be; never _mind_ that Pete did everything right in the end, both by his ex-wife and his kid. None of that is any good in Pete's mind, because he failed at the very beginning, the very core of it all.

Just like Patrick's parents did.

Sometimes, Patrick wonders if his own issues have found a way to seep into Pete, by empathy or by proximity; if _Patrick_ is to blame for Pete's hang-ups, for the way Pete blames himself for everything.

Because the thing is, Patrick _knows_ Pete. Patrick knows Pete _so well_ , he might as well be hearing what Pete is thinking in stereo surround sound, and marriage and commitment isn't Pete's problem at all. Hell, for all intents and purposes, they're so committed that they're basically already married.

The problem is that Pete thinks he's bad at marriage. He thinks he'll magically ruin whatever they already have as soon as the ink on the proverbial paper is dry, that Patrick will wake up from whatever spell Pete thinks he put on him and leave if they officially tie the knot.

As if leaving Pete was ever an option for Patrick. The mere thought would be laughable if it wasn't so painful.

So it's up to Patrick to convince Pete otherwise. To make sure that Pete knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that Patrick is here to stay. And Patrick is doing it by any means necessary.

Which, in this case, is a potentially humiliating public proposal.

***

It starts with a simple question:

 _What would Pete do_?

Actually, it's more like: _What_ Patrick wouldn't _do_?

Things Patrick wants this proposal to be:

  * Intimate
  * Private
  * Dinner at home (favorite dishes, of course)
  * A record they both love playing in the background (Patrick would _find_ one they agree on even if it took him _a year_ )
  * All of it followed by a night of Passion (never to be called that to Pete's actual face because _wow_ , talk about Patrick committing homicide after too much teasing)



Precisely _none_ of these would work as a grand gesture, which means Patrick has to go with the complete opposite of all of those, and if he has to do this publicly, then he's going to do it _right_. Patrick is going to be _unpredictable as shit_ and _rock Pete's world_. Figuratively speaking. Maybe a bit literally, what with the public thing, which would most probably and most conveniently be a show of theirs?

Right. It should be at a show. Nice and public.

In front of thousands of people.

…

Oh, boy.

Patrick takes about five minutes to breathe into a paper bag and then firmly puts it away.

He's got planning to do.

***

Doves?

No, live animals are too messy. They all learned from the monkeys.

The llamas?

No. Just… no.

Song?

Well, it's a show, there's already a bunch of songs, and also it's way too every-day activity for them. They already spend most of their lives immersed in music, this should be at least a bit separate from it.

Ring, yes, he absolutely _has_ to have a ring. Or… maybe a necklace? Or a pendant? A physical token of some kind, to symbolize his commitment.

Maybe a slideshow, or a visual of some kind? That's more of a Pete thing, but surely Patrick can manage something acceptable. Patrick writes ' _slides/ppt???_ ' into a random grocery list on his phone and hopes he won't forget what it stands for.

Joe and Andy's help, that's a given, they need to know the plan in advance so they can act accordingly. The tech guys' too, visual and audio, and possibly the PAs, too, and wow, this is rapidly turning into an Operation.

A Sting; _The_ Sting. The Marriage Sting.

And then there's only one thing left, which is the actual date of this terrifying event.

That one is a given, at least, since it absolutely has to be a Chicago show.

Therefore: a month away, at the end of their tour.

***

(There are two more reasons Patrick is doing this proposal thing first, and he is _never_ going to admit to them out loud, but they're as follows:

First, once Pete figures himself out — and he will, it's just a matter of time; Pete is nothing if not persistent in working on his Issues — there's 99% chance he is going to plan a proposal so outlandish and extravagant, that Patrick can only shudder in fear when trying to imagine all would entail. So this preemptive strike is also half self-preservation, because Patrick loves Pete to death but the man has some _weird_ ideas about what's appropriate and acceptable.

Also, Patrick has _no_ defenses against Pete's puppy eyes when he really wants something, so.

The second is —

Well.

It's petty, but _Patrick_ wants to be the extravagant, big-gesture, romantic guy for once. Pete's the one with the words, and with the open, apparent devotion, and Pete's the one that everyone points to when they write Buzzfeed articles about _Grand Relationship Gestures and the Most Romantic Things We've Ever Seen With Our Own Eyes, Prepare Your Tissues!_

 _Patrick_ wants to be the role model just one time, the one to knock it out of the park. Is that too much to ask?

And what better occasion than a marriage proposal?)

***

So far, Patrick has the _what_ , the _when_ , the _where_ , the _who_ s, and obviously the _why_ s. (The answer to the _why_ is 'Because Patrick loves Pete, and Pete loves Patrick, and they'll get married and be happy forever. When they don't argue about music or food or a billion other things. Lovingly.')

The only thing Patrick is missing is the _how_.

 _How_ the _fuck_ is he supposed to do this?

What should he say, _how_ should he say it; how should he _dress_?

How should he _stand_ , for fuck's sake? Knee or no knee? Box out or not?

Should he juggle the mic with everything else going on? He'll drop something _for sure_. Or forget something. Or _both_.

The paper bag makes a reappearance, and Patrick takes half a day off from planning in the interest of keeping his sanity.

When he comes back to it, there's the Speech to tackle.

He tries to write something appropriate, agonizes over it every single free moment he has. He's never hated the fact that he's the music to Pete's words more, since half the phrases and sentences he comes up with are Pete's own. Patrick's head is _full_ of Pete's words, and you just can't steal someone's words for a proposal. Patrick is pretty sure that is Not Done.

So he scribbles, crosses out, rewrites, and then ultimately burns at least a thousand different versions of what always turn out to be pathetically inadequate words — and _of course_ he burns them, Pete would find any discarded scrap of paper, are you _kidding_ ; Pete is _the master_ of putting his nose where it shouldn't be; and the infuriating thing is, it's not even deliberate, it's just a combination of perceptiveness, dumb luck, and being _Pete_ — until Patrick finally, _finally_ has something he's halfway satisfied with.

It's short, and not incredibly romantic, but. It's Patrick, through and through. All his feelings, all of his _love_ , in small and simple words, out in the open.

Patrick hopes it's enough.

***

The show is 99% business as usual, and it's a great way to shake off some of the tension from his limbs, to dampen some of the terror coursing through him at the thought of _forty thousand people_ watching as Patrick literally puts his heart on a plate and hands it to Pete.

It's _a lot_ , okay?

Patrick would probably be violently sick if he had time to think about it between all the lyrics he has to remember.

All too soon, Dirty gives Patrick the thumbs up from the side of the stage, and that means everything is ready.

_It's time._

Before Pete can launch into his next pre-song ramble, Patrick says, as casually as possible, "Hey, we've got something to show you guys".

Pete raises his eyebrows at Patrick but goes with it generously, and looking up as the huge wall-to-wall screen behind Andy goes dark.

It lights up again soon, cheesy music Patrick picked because it will make Pete laugh laid over a video of their history together: first them as babies, kids, teenagers, then first shows and practices, then the many, _many_ pictures and videos of them together, smiling at each other, laughing with each other, goofing off — but always, _always_ with eyes only for one another.

On stage, Pete is smiling helplessly.

The video is a couple minutes long, so Patrick takes the time he bought himself for a quick shirt change just off stage. A tech clips a tiny mike in the neckline of his shirt and to the back of his jeans, and he's back in his spot before the video ends.

His face is the last thing on screen, a quick shot of him saying, ' _I have a surprise for you, Pete,_ ' directly into the camera, and when it cuts off—

— Pete's parents and siblings, Brandon, Travie, Gabe, and a whole plethora of other friends and family members come pouring out from backstage, all of the most important people in Pete's life, smiling and waving but staying back, and this is Patrick's cue, this is the moment — 

— so Patrick goes down on one knee.

A wave of noise spreads through the arena, and it makes Pete turn around in confusion, and when he sees Patrick _kneeling_ his eyes grow wide as saucers.

"What," Patrick sees him mouth, because the level of noise is so deafening that neither of them can hear a thing.

Patrick smiles at Pete tremulously and waits, and after ten _agonizing_ seconds, Andy and Joe manage to settle the crowd.

Suddenly, it's so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Patrick's throat is so dry it feels like it's cracking from the inside, and he has to clear it before any words can come out.

Pete hasn't moved an inch. He's watching Patrick, spellbound, frozen, barely breathing. His focus on Patrick is so complete it pulls them into their own private bubble, and Pete always had that sort of power over Patrick, always made him feel so special, like he's the center of the world, and the intimacy of it helps immensely now.

This is _Pete_.

It's just Pete.

"Pete," Patrick says, and then, "Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz the Third."

The smile that comes to Patrick's lips at the name is automatic. Pete has always been so many different things to him, filled so many roles, and his name is the best indicator of that.

"I'm not the words guy, you are. You've always known what was in my head, always knew the best ways to express what I'm feeling. You still do. You believed in me when no one else did, including myself. You've been there for me every step of the way, even when we were so angry at each other we couldn't be in the same room. You've never wavered, you never let me down."

Patrick is sure Pete would argue with this last part, but he's wrong. He is _so_ wrong. If there's one thing Pete always did, always _does_ , it's lift Patrick up, make him believe he can fly.

"It seems so silly to say I love you, because it's way too simple a phrase, but I do. I love you _so much_ , I can't— there's no explaining it. It's too big for words. It's too big for _songs_ , too, or anything else I can think of. So there's just the words, I guess. You'll have to trust me that the feeling behind them is so much bigger than the words themselves can express."

The small box opens easily, and Pete's wide eyes drop to the simple chain and pendant nestled within.

It seemed more appropriate than a ring, more _Pete_. There's time for rings later.

"So I want to promise to you, in front of all the kids and all these people who love you very much, that I'll love and cherish you, hug and kiss you a lot, never take you for granted, listen to you even when you make no sense or start making up words, and that I'll do my best to understand you, to support your numerous schemes and ideas, and that I'll stay by your side through thick and thin, as long as you allow it."

As long as they both shall live.

_Please._

"Pete," Patrick says, and swallows all the endearments, all the things he'd say if they were alone because that's a step too far; but he thinks them real hard, keeps them in mind so he can whisper them to Pete tonight.

Patrick says Pete's name, and means them all.

" _Pete_. Would you do me the greatest honor, the greatest joy, and the greatest _privilege_ of my life, and agree to marry me?"

A long, _long_ second passes before Pete opens his mouth to say something, and fails to produce any sort of sound.

Pete _panics_ , it's so clear and obvious, and it makes Patrick panic back because _what, what did he do, did he get it all_ wrong _?!_ , and then Pete nods like a bobble-head, compulsively and empathically, and relief crashes into Patrick so hard it _physically_ hurts, contracts his chest suddenly and uncomfortably.

Because Patrick knew, _of course_ he knew, but there was still that tiny sliver of a doubt — not in Pete, but in _himself_ , in maybe misjudging doing this in front of _forty thousand people_.

The noise levels in the arena are _insane_ , everyone seems to be screaming their head off, but Pete doesn't stop his nodding, he simply rushes over to where Patrick is kneeling and _drops_ , and hugs Patrick close, arms so tight around him that Patrick can't tell which one of them is shaking more, he can't tell if either of them is even _breathing_.

"I can't believe you, what the fuck, _what the fuck_ ," Pete chants into Patrick's neck, and Patrick clings back and laughs, long and hard, tension leaving him finally.

***

The rest of the show goes by quickly.

Once he puts the pendant over Pete's head clumsily, once the congratulations are out of the way, once everyone but the band returns backstage and they untangle themselves from their way-too-long four-way hug, they go back to their instruments.

They only have _Saturday_ left to play anyway. 

Patrick can't remember any of it beyond Pete's warmth at his side.

Pete, who touches him every so often like he's making sure Patrick is really there and not a mirage. Pete, who looks at him with dazed eyes and flushed cheeks. Pete, who only remembers the crowd and the concert when the sound guy runs over to take his bass and hand him the extra mike.

They say goodbye to the kids, promise their families and friends a proper engagement party later, and within a couple of hours they're in bed; showered, exhausted, but way too wired to sleep.

Pete can't stop touching the pendant. He runs his fingers over the surface, traces the shape of it over and over. He kept pressing his hand against his chest just to feel it against his palm when they were on their way home.

He lets go of it now, but Patrick assumes it's only because Patrick is there himself for Pete to hold on to. He buries his head in the space between Patrick's neck and shoulder, like a kid hiding from monsters under the bed, and Patrick draws him closer, cups the back of his neck gently.

"What's up?" he says, voice soft.

Pete is silent for a long time.

"Why," he whispers finally, more hot breath against Patrick's skin than sound.

There are so many answers to that question. Patrick knows which one Pete is looking for, he knows the _exact_ shape and size of this sore spot now, but he still takes the time to give Pete all the truths he has.

"Because I love you. Because I want to be married to you. Because I could. Because I _wanted_ to. Because I know _you_ wanted to, but you made it something so huge and complicated in your head. You made yourself believe you don't deserve it, that you'd suck at it, when nothing could be further from the truth. You're great at being there for me, Pete, and you're literally the _best_ at loving me, and you deserve _the entire world_."

Pete's breath hitches, and Patrick presses his lips to the top of Pete's head.

"Hey," he says, and Pete lifts his head.

He's flushed, and his eyes are shiny, and he's so beautiful that Patrick's heart constricts for the umpteenth time today.

"Pete. My love, my life, my _heart_. My _precious_ ," Patrick mock-hisses, and Pete barks out a laugh that Patrick feels everywhere they're pressed together.

Patrick's smiling but the question he asks is as serious as they come.

"Will you marry me?"

Pete smiles his Patrick-smile, shaky and vulnerable and _oh_ so painfully tender, and says:

" _Yes_."

**End**

**Author's Note:**

> As always, [come talk to me on tumblr](https://toorational.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
